Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to rise to speak to the 2007-08 federal budget. I would say that all members of the government would be very pleased with this government’s track record when it comes to the economic management of Australia. Each of us knows that it is only through the careful economic planning and the responsible economic decisions taken by the Treasurer, Peter Costello, and the Prime Minister, John Howard, that Australians have been able to enjoy 15 years of continuous economic growth. The Economist magazine and the OECD refer to Australia as the miracle economy. For residents in my electorate of Moncrieff and, more broadly, the city of the Gold Coast, the economic management that Australia has enjoyed and the discipline and hard work of this government will certainly reap dividends for years to come—in a similar way to the manner in which it has reaped dividends over the past 12 or so years.

When you look at the track record of this government, you see that there have been some key achievements that have locked in place the gains achieved in the last 12 years and set this nation up to invest in the future. First and foremost among them would be the fact that the Treasurer has been able, through prudent and disciplined financial management, to repay the $96 billion of debt left by the Australian Labor Party. Make no mistake: the full repayment of this $96 billion of Labor Party debt is having a significant beneficial impact on all Australians but especially those in my electorate of Moncrieff. This government’s careful economic planning means that Australians are enjoying an $8½ billion saving on interest payments that the Australian Labor Party would have had us paying. We now have an extra $8½ billion each and every year to invest in schools, roads, hospitals and the defence of our nation. That is money that the Australian Labor Party would be paying offshore, money that Australians would have to pay income tax for, money that Australians would be required to pay in order to service that $96 billion of Labor Party debt. Because we have paid off that $96 billion, the coalition is now able to really invest in the future of our country.

That is only one significant achievement—there are many. One of the many that I am very pleased about is the fact that, over the past 12 years, Peter Costello as Treasurer of our nation has been able to deliver us 10 surpluses. That stands in stark contrast to the Australian Labor Party. In the final year of the Labor government, the then leader of the government and the finance minister left a $10 billion budget deficit for this government to inherit. So not only was there a $96 billion debt, but the budget deficit in the final year the Labor Party were last in government was $10 billion—not a $10 billion surplus, as this government provided in 2007-08, but a $10 billion deficit. The contrast could not be more stark. Our track record speaks for itself.

In addition, this government has been willing to make the hard decisions to ensure that the economic sunshine we now enjoy is able to be enjoyed in the future. For example, Australia now has the lowest unemployment rate for 32 years—something that could never have been achieved by the Australian Labor Party. Under this coalition government, we have the lowest unemployment rate in 32 years. The Australian Labor Party’s track record was to put one million Australians on the unemployment scrap heap. That is the record of the Australian Labor Party, which stands in direct and stark contrast to the track record of the Howard government.

I have been very pleased to be part of a government that has delivered tax cuts to all Australians. Since coming to power, we have delivered hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tax cuts. I was delighted that in the 2007-08 budget the Howard-Costello government once again delivered a further $31 billion worth of tax cuts. This makes a real difference to the lives of ordinary Australians. These tax cuts that the Howard-Costello government has delivered—which I have been proud to support—are tax cuts that the Australian Labor Party voted against.

I am very pleased to be part of a government which has not only put Australia in a strong economic position but also been able to repay the Australian people by ensuring that we have record investment in roads, record investment in hospitals, record investment in education and, at the same time, returning a revenue windfall to the Australian people in significant and meaningful tax relief. Gold Coast residents can be pleased that they have extra money in their pockets, and that extra money comes about because this government is providing tax relief through prudent economic management.

I would also like to touch upon the fact that the Gold Coast, in particular, stands to benefit from a number of key reforms and key spending initiatives that were announced in the budget. It is Australia’s sixth largest city and fastest growing region. And I acknowledge that the Gold Coast is well represented by a team of four federal Liberal MPs who are always willing to bat for the people of the Gold Coast. I stand together with the member for McPherson, who sits at the table with me this evening, the member for Fadden and the member for Forde. But, as Australia’s sixth largest and fastest-growing city, the Gold Coast has a number of unique challenges. In broad terms, these challenges fall under the headings of roads, tourism—our key industry—water needs, university education for a rapidly expanding industry on the Gold Coast, skills and training initiatives for young Gold Coasters and, finally, the film and TV industry—again, another key industry in our city. On each of these issues, this federal budget makes significant strides forward. I reinforce that these strides are achievable only because of the disciplined economic management of the government.

When it comes to roads, the government announced an additional $22.3 billion under AusLink mark 2. This is a record investment in roads and rail transport by the Australian government. It represents a 45 per cent increase on the previous $15 billion or so that the Howard government invested in road and rail transport. I say to all Gold Coasters, especially those who live in Moncrieff: the fact that this government has been able to manage the economy in such a way that we can provide record funding for roads pays real dividends. For example, last year the Gold Coast City Council enjoyed a doubling of its road funding from the Howard government. The Queensland government has enjoyed a 119 per cent increase in road funding, thanks to the Howard government. That is based on the initial announcement of AusLink. I can only speculate on what sorts of dividends will flow to Gold Coasters as a result of the 45 per cent increase to $22.3 billion that will come under AusLink mark 2.

I reinforce to Gold Coasters that, when it comes to road funding, they should contrast and compare the performance of the Howard government to the performance of the Beattie Labor government. What they know in their hearts and from the information we provide them is that the contrast could not be more stark. At a federal level they are seeing record investment in roads, record support for the Gold Coast City Council and record funding flowing to the Queensland government, all of which is enabling more construction, enabling better maintenance and improving local roads at a great rate. It is a shame that the Queensland government does not use some of this record funding in a positive way to improve the amenity of our roads on the Gold Coast and to improve the livelihood of local Gold Coasters. Unfortunately, the federal government writes the cheques, but we require the state government to cash the cheque and to get into action. I say to Peter Beattie and the Australian Labor Party: it is time that you got into action by improving more roads on the Gold Coast. You have record funding; now it is time to make the rubber hit the road, so to speak.

With respect to our most important industry of tourism, the Howard government, under the former Minister for Small Business and Tourism, the Hon. Joe Hockey, announced a record funding allocation of some $800 million under the tourism white paper. Once again, in the 2007-08 budget the Howard government delivered in spades. The current Minister for Small Business and Tourism, the Hon. Fran Bailey, made the announcement that there would be a substantial increase—tens of millions of dollars—for Tourism Australia over the next four years. This builds on the record funding, as was announced previously in the white paper, that the tourism industry enjoyed. So Gold Coast tour operators can be buoyed by the fact that this government puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to supporting the tourism industry.

Again, it stands in stark contrast to the track record of the Australian Labor Party, because its track record on tourism funding is very clear. In New South Wales the Australian Labor Party cut funding. The Howard government is increasing funding to the tourism industry, providing more opportunity for Australia to market itself abroad and providing more incentives for international tourists to come and visit Australia and to spend their money. At the very time when the Howard government has been doing more than any other national government has done, the Australian Labor Party turned its back on tourism and walked away from the table. Sandra Nori, the previous New South Wales tourism minister, stands condemned for that action. That was a slap in the face for the tourism industry in Australia.

I have to say that the attitude in Queensland was not much better. Unfortunately, in Queensland, at a time when there has been record investment by the federal government, the state tourism minister did not provide a single real increase in tourism spending. That is the Labor Party’s attitude to tourism, and it stands in stark contrast to that of the Howard government.

When it comes to the film and TV industry—again, a rapidly expanding and growing industry on the Gold Coast; one that employs thousands of people and one that the member for McPherson, the member for Fadden, the member for Forde and I are all very supportive of—this government has a very proud track record. It was announced in the federal budget that a record funding package would be put together for the film and TV industry. So I have been very pleased to see a significant increase in the amount of money being provided for the film and TV industry.

The 2007 budget introduced a location rebate which replaced the film tax offset and increased the rebate from 12½ per cent to 15 per cent for qualifying expenditure. Additionally, a new production rebate was put in place to replace the old 10BA and 10B schemes which applied under the tax act. This will mean that there is more incentive than ever before for runaway productions from the United States and other countries, as well as for domestic film and TV industries, to flourish. That is good news for the Gold Coast because this record investment by the Australian government in the film and TV industry will help to create hundreds of jobs on the Gold Coast. It will help to ensure that this industry remains sustainable and it is exactly the kind of support that I know the film and TV industry is looking for. I am pleased that it has been received so warmly by local operators on the Gold Coast, who are very happy that this government is supporting such an important industry in our city.

When it comes to water, this is an issue of crucial importance in south-east Queensland and on the Gold Coast. The federal budget provided money that will be used in a very commonsense way—to support water usage, recycled water, new methods of saving water, to ensure that our city goes from strength to strength. We know, in the south-east corner of Queensland, that we are suffering because of a lack of planning by the Labor state government. In Queensland, a new dam has not been built for 21 years. The Labor Party has been in power in Queensland for 18 years. Despite being in power for 18 of the last 20 years, not a single new dam has been built. If that is not an absolutely damning indictment of the Labor Party’s inability to plan for the future, I do not know what is.

Whilst Peter Beattie and the Labor Party run around Queensland today making excuses as to why there is not enough water, I know, and the people of the Gold Coast know, that the real problem is that there was no investment made for the future. That is why the Howard government has once again stepped in to assist in a very direct way with water projects under the Community Water Grants program. I refer also to the beneficial impact that will flow from the Natural Heritage Trust, as well as direct funding of nearly $10 million to the Gold Coast City Council to help with a water program to reduce the pressure in the Gold Coast’s mains water pipes and which saves literally hundreds of megalitres each year.

Each of these initiatives will make a positive beneficial impact on the lives of Gold Coasters and ensure that this government once again puts its money where its mouth is. Unfortunately, one of the most important water systems in our country, the Murray-Darling Basin, is continuing to suffer because of the squabbling between the various state Labor governments. Again in respect of water, the Howard government has put aside $10 billion to deliver a solution for the Murray-Darling Basin, but the Labor state governments continue to get in the way and prevent the kind of leadership that I know all Australians are desperately calling out for from the Howard government. We are trying to provide that leadership; we just need the Labor state premiers to get on board.

One of the very key announcements that was made in the 2007-08 budget was the announcement of a $5 billion Higher Education Endowment Fund. This fund will play a crucial role on the Gold Coast in the future. I would reinforce that this is only possible because of the careful and considered economic management of the Howard government over the past 12 years. I am very pleased to have Griffith University in my electorate, a university that has gone from strength to strength, a university that received the highest allocation of university places in Queensland in the last round and the highest national allocation of new university places in the previous round. I know that Gold Coast kids will have the opportunity to go and study the course they want to study at one of the best universities in Australia purely and simply because we are providing them more university places than they ever had previously. In addition, this government has been providing capital works funding at a significant rate. There can be no doubt that the Higher Education Endowment Fund will play a fundamental role in providing a revenue stream for this university and the other universities on the Gold Coast—the University of Southern Queensland, Central Queensland University, Southern Cross University and Bond University—with the revenue that they need to undertake important construction and capital works projects as well as investing in important research institutions and organs on each of these university campuses. That would not be possible if it were not for the disciplined and careful economic management of the Treasurer, Peter Costello, and of the Howard government.

Finally, I would like to touch on the issue of skills and training. I am pleased to say that this budget continues to build on the $837 million Skills for the Future package that this government announced some time back. In the 2007-08 budget we saw the payment that will be made in the future of $1,000 and $2,000 boosts to apprentices to help them with their salaries to ensure that we create as much incentive as possible for apprentices who are currently undertaking their apprenticeships. In addition to that, there is a $500 credit that can be used by apprentices towards the cost of their education. This of course comes on top of the investment in the Gold Coast of an Australian technical college. I was pleased to join with the members for McPherson, Fadden and Forde in announcing the Gold Coast Technical College on the Gold Coast about 12 or so months ago. This is a real investment that picks up where the state Labor governments have left off when it comes to trade training through the TAFE system. It is sad that the Australian Labor Party would make out that in some way this government has been deficient when it comes to skills and training when they stand indicted by the absolute abysmal performance of their state Labor governments in delivering TAFE training to young Aussie kids. That is the real albatross around the necks of young Australians, that there is no investment at a state Labor government level. Because of that lack of investment by Labor, the Howard government has had to create, and is happily rolling out, 25 Australian technical colleges across the country to provide maximum opportunities for young Australians to get a trade, to go about living a sustainable and productive life and to have the kinds of skills that they need to do that effectively.

I have touched upon a number of the key announcements in the budget and the anticipated outcome that it will have on the lot of Moncrieff residents and of Gold Coasters broadly. It is a great shame that on each of these key initiatives where the Howard government has been forced to make difficult decisions, but ones that ultimately have been in the long-term interests of this country, we have had to battle every single step of the way against the Australian Labor Party. It is a great shame that in the creation of the Higher Education Endowment Fund and with the record investment in roads, education, health and other services, the Australian Labor Party has attempted to stop this investment each and every step. I commend the budget.

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